The Potion Master's Apprentice
by Lt.Kara.Thrace
Summary: Severus Snape spots an interesting first year...I suck at summaries, so please ignore this and just give my story a chance. First Harry Potter fic! K for now. AU.
1. Prologue

The Potion Master's Apprentice

Prologue 

The first years filed into the great hall for the sorting ceremony in two lines, among these young wizards and witches was none other than Harry Potter himself. All eyes were on Potter, the boy who lived, except for one set of coal black eyes which lingered with distaste for a moment before moving on to focus on a smaller boy further back.

The boy in question was short, at least for his age, had gray eyes, closely cropped back hair and wore a distinct expression of displeasure at where he was. He was the only student who was not looking around in wonder at his surroundings. His eyes were focused straight ahead and he most certainly displayed no desire outwardly that he wanted to attend Hogwarts at all.

As the lines slowed and stopped moving he stood as if a prisoner waiting for his death sentence to finally be carried out and had long ago been resigned to his fate, as it was inevitable. He appeared to be ignoring professor McGonagall as she called out the names of the new students one by one he was staring into space.

"Martin, James," called professor McGonagall loudly and James slowly moved forward, he had been listening after all and picked up the battered wizard's hat and set it on his head as he sat down, all in one fluid movement, with a sort of quiet grace that was beyond his years.

For five minutes the hat and the entire hall remained silent, then the hat shouted, "Gryffindor!" James replaced the hat and made his way to his seat as applause filled the hall. He sat down next to where Harry Potter would soon sit and mistakenly believe that it was him that Professor Severus Snape was watching intently and glaring at.

Severus studied James carefully, he knew that there was something not quite right about the boy but he couldn't put his finger on it. There was definitely more to him than met the eye, Severus could sense potential in him, potential more obvious than in any other student he would ever meet, even Hermione Granger.

The sorting had ended moments ago and Harry Potter was now blocking his view of James. Taking a small sip from his goblet he resolved to let it go for now but to keep a careful watch on this intriguing first year.

TBC

A/N #1: Alright so first to all those reading my Voyager story right now, I am sorry for the lack of updates but I have been ill lately and unfortunately had writer's block so I couldn't type any more chapters while I was at home sick.

A/N #2: This story is AU but loosely will follow the books up until the end of the fifth. Once I get that far I'll just have to see what happens.

A/N #3: There are hints of relationships in this story but they will only be hints, not the focus. This is my first Harry Potter fan fic so please be kind and review.


	2. Chapter 1

The Potion Master's Apprentice

Chapter 1

James looked around the library without concern, the few students present had not noticed his entrance and the librarian was nowhere to be seen, which was a relief. He had already heard some terrible stories about how mean the librarian was. Whether they were exaggerated or not, she seemed like the last person that he'd want to get caught by.

All the other students were clustered together at the opposite end of the room and whispering quietly. James had positioned himself near the door, so that should he need to a speedy exit could be made. His timetable laid abandoned on the table in front of him.

Bored his swung his feet, which were dangling at least two inches above the ground as the chair was meant for a bigger person. His classmates were currently attending their first class of the year – transfiguration, taught by the head of the Gryffindor head of house Professor Minerva McGonagall herself. James didn't really care for magic and had no intention of joining them anytime in the near future. Hopefully he'd get expelled and be allowed to return home.

"Well, well what do we have here?" inquired a soft silky voice from somewhere behind him, "It seems that a first year sees fit to cut class on the first day, and a Gryffindor at that."

Slowly James turned his head, only to find himself face to face with the sallow faced potion master Professor Severus Snape. Before he could stop himself he blurted out a comment based solely on rumors he had heard the night before, "Sir is it true that you're a vampire," at Severus' silence he continued, "Shouldn't you be off tormenting students in you dungeon where it's dark so you won't burn up in the sunlight?"

Anger briefly flashed across his features, no student, first year or not, got away with speaking to him in such a manner, "Fifty points for cutting class and another fifty for that sharp tongue of yours Mr. Martin," James started, why had he remembered his name out of all the first years, "Losing one hundred points on the first day must be a new record for a Gryffindor."

James managed to hold his tongue and said nothing.

"Now why don't we pay a visit to the head of your house, hmmm, that would be Professor McGonagall wouldn't it?"

"Yes sir."

Severus snatched up the time table on the table, "How convenient, you should be in her class now," he sneered, beckoning for James to stand up and swept him out of the library and towards the transfiguration classroom, maintaining a tight grip on his upper arm to prevent any ill-advised escape attempts.

Stopping in front of a large oak door Severus let go of James and rapped loudly on it with his fist. The door opened almost instantly and a witch in green robes appeared.

Behind her students turned around at their desks to see what was going on but returned to their work at the combined glares of both professors.

"Severus, what is the meaning of this? You're disrupting my class, surely you have something more productive to do?"

"Indeed I do Minerva however," he lingered on that word for a moment, "I am sure that you are aware by now that you seem to be one first year short, a Mr. Martin in Gryffindor if I am not mistaken," at her affirming nod he continued, "I was in the library when I found this," he dragged James forwards, who had before then been trying to hide behind him, annoyingly enough, "If he were in my house I would-"

"-You'd expel him," she finished, "That seems to be your solution for most problems Severus, besides he is not in Slytherin and he's only a first year," she pointed out.

"Minerva," Severus sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache, "he broke the rules and has to be punished adequately."

"Oh he will be punished Severus but there is no reason to jump the gun and expel him. I trust you have already taken points from him," he nodded, the movement barely visible but it was there, it was as if he didn't want her to have his answer, "Well then all that's left is a detention with Mr. Filch, if that doesn't straighten him out then I don't know what will," she turned to address James, "I'll explain the details of your punishment in a moment, for now go inside and take a seat at the front," she shooed him inside and turned back to Severus, "The decision of how to punish him in this matter is mine, he is a Gryffindor after all."

When Severus tried to argue she simply shut the door in his face and returned to teaching her class, leaving him standing there in the corridor.

TBC


	3. Chapter 2

The Potion Master's Apprentice

Chapter 2

Severus stared at the door for a fraction of a second before whirling around and storming off towards his office, his robes billowing ominously behind him. At such a fast pace he reached his office very quickly. He slammed the door behind him. The bang was heard clear across the school, probably through the forbidden forest too.

Sighing, Severus sat down behind his desk wearily. He was beginning to fell the onset of a very bad day and an equally bad headache. To make matters worse he had to teach the first years in a little under an hour, he knew that no matter what he assigned there would be at least one explosion if he was lucky, if not…he lowered his head so that his forehead rested lightly on his hands as he remembered last year's fiasco…

He had given the students a very simple colour change potion to brew with little possibility for serious error that could cause injury. Apparently he had underestimated the first year's stupidity.

While he was busy tormenting a Hufflepuff on the other side of the classroom, one of the first years got a paper cut from their potions textbook and neglected to bandage it properly. As he was reaching over the cauldron a small droplet of blood fell into the potion.

The moment the droplet struck the surface the caldron exploded. The potion had no adverse magical effects but it was hot and burned almost the entire class in varying degrees. The cauldron itself fragmented completely and the flying debris caused some minor injuries. Most of the class ended up in the hospital wing for the rest of the day.

If there hadn't been charms to prevent it there would have been a huge hole in both the floor under the cauldron and the ceiling above which were where most of the debris and potion hit. It did however leave an impressive stain on both that was still slightly visible despite Argus Filch's efforts to remove it.

Slowly standing he decided that perhaps it was best to stick to a few weeks of text book work and essays before allowing the first years to get anywhere near a cauldron. It would be best for everyone's safety, next time it would probably be worse.

After selecting a sufficiently tedious assignment he headed towards the dungeon to prepare for the arrival of the first years. Scowl more prominent than usual, as the headache had arrived in full force.

TBC

A/N: Short I know, next chaper will be sometime next week. I have a school trip this week and will need all my time to cath up on the work I will miss. Maybe if things go well then I will be able to post on the weekend. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.


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